


To Leap with Faith

by RichmanBachard



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, F/M, Flirting, Fluff and Humor, Grief, Marriage Proposal, Original Character(s), Post-Heavensward, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-11-08 18:05:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20839760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RichmanBachard/pseuds/RichmanBachard
Summary: In the aftermath of battles both bleak and tiresome, two lovers come to grips with becoming something more.





	To Leap with Faith

**Author's Note:**

> OC’s made and owned by two friends of mine, with permission given to me to post this publicly. Enjoy.

In the preceding weeks, their days were wrought with battle, hard-fought and arduous. Day after day, it was a storm to be weathered. After some time it almost grew to be too much for him. The loss. It was all he could think of, all he could hardly fall asleep to. He would soldier on, he would have to, but moving forward was never that simple. He knew that, learned that.

Yet her smile – her own sense of growth, pain, and experience behind it – provided something he could never conjure himself. 

Every day, the thought returned back to _her._ In spite of the last few weeks, she was there. Despite his difficulty in finding sleep, she was there – an embrace of warm skin and sensual touches. 

And so he would deflect, and playfully muse. He would chide her, and she would respond in kind. On the surface it went like this; but deeper, deeper.. moves had been made.

Lenus wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with Artemis, and he needed—they needed—a place of solace to plant roots, to facilitate progress and healing.

Upon returning from a night, plentiful with celebration and much needed reprieve, he took her home. To their agreed-upon nest. Stifling the butterflies dwelling within his stomach, he feigned his normal wall of confidence, cocksure and teasing in his movements and words. She would mirror these notions; a comment here, a wink there, blowing him a kiss or two while out on the town but now, now her playful demeanor had dimmed faintly. Still there, but to a lesser degree. Lenus noticed, of course, which only worsened his own sense of nervousness.

Regardless, Artemis wore a wry smile, her eyes shying away from Lenus’ comical display of flexing his muscles and instead fixing upon the front of their new home. 

“Wow, this is..”

“Amazing?” he added, wanting to finish for her. “Beautiful? Oh god, please don’t be mad.”

She lightly flicked the back of his head the second he turned, which he rubbed tentatively afterwards. A healthy crimson across his cheeks.

“You’re cute,” she said.

“No, no.. you are.”

She made a face, that deadpanned expression slowly fading with a resolute sternness in her voice despite the playful hand upon her hip. “You’re not winning this, honey, don’t even try it.” She paused, her eyes glancing over the house once more. “I love it.” She motioned ahead of the time. “Come on, lover boy. Show me what you’ve got packing in there.” 

He hesitated. “Well, eh-heh, y’know, it’s not completely done yet, so-“

“Ah, so it’s a grower, not a shower?” With a playful chuckle, she headed inside. He followed her in, butterflies persisting.

Inside, they were met with a wondrous sight. A living room, draped with a tapestry of color. Furniture in place, a cool temperature. She gave him a look, which he responded in kind with a cheeky grin. Despite the lump in his throat, he mustered a playful chuckle, his mind on a spin. The tiny box brushed against the inside of his pocket knowingly, gratingly. It taunted him, the excess of the moment – of what the moment could be – coiling itself around the inner-workings of his mind; his hope, just as much his fear. 

She held out a hand incredulously. “Um,” she loudly blurted. “Hello? Eorzea to Len?” Her body-language softened faintly, her face mixing with concern despite the ounce of intrigue. “Len, are you okay?”

His reply was immediate, and all the more unconvincing. “Nothing!” He chastised himself internally, muffling a scream. “N-Nothing,” he repeated, his throat clearing. All he could muster now were the last few shreds of confidence left in his being. He found that the well had run dry, the faintest leftover residue having to do. In expelling a shakey breath, his words barreled onward with a clearer focus. “Nothing’s wrong. It’s great- tonight was great, I mean. And I’m glad you like the house.”

“So far.”

“So far,” he corrected, her wry smirk in response having made his heart flutter. He maintained focus. “I just didn’t – I don’t – want to screw it up. I mean, I never screw up.” He paused, waiting for a beat. “Except for when I’m with you.”

“You do that a lot.”

“And I like it.” Stepping forward, sheepishly in his movements, his hand reached up, brushing across her cheek. His thumb gliding down the long scar across her skin. “I want you to keep screwing me. And also screwing me up,” he added, tongue firmly planted against his cheek. “If you’ll have me.”

Artemis gazed deeply into his brown eyes, mirroring her own chestnut-colored stare. She lost herself in their shared glance, wanted to remain there for hours. A kind of ache tugged at the strings of her heart, though, as reality begged to differ, urging a response from her senses. His words dropped with – equal parts obviousness and intrigue, sure – but sensuality nonetheless. She was no fool, but he made her a goof. Comfortable enough, kind enough, to relax – to be happy. Truly, contently. She could hardly believe it was real. 

She didn’t want to. She couldn’t bear the thought of-

He went to take a knee and her eyes glossed over, mildly wet with tears. Under the warm haze of light given by their new house, it ushered a soft, comforting feeling. She spoke nought a word, though; merely watched, almost shocked.

With a warm, honest smile, his voice remained noticeably softer, shakier than normal. “Artemis Krow,” he said as his hands tenderly presented that tiny, rugged box. He creased the top, popping it open to unveil a ring – adorned with a bright, alluring gem. “Will you marry me?”

Silence.

Artemis stared at him, allowed the moment to draw itself out. Despite his better nature, his soft smile soon drew to a fade as time passed. Her hand moved, gingerly reaching out to touch him, something, anything. 

But she refrained. Instead, all the viera could offer in response was an awkward mumble. “Um.” Lenus’ heart dropped slightly. “I, uhm-“

His face twisted in a mix of anticipation and concern.

“Hey, um, give me a second? I-“ On the turn of a heel, she ran. Away from him, from the moment, her crockpot of emotions well in tow. Lenus called out for her to stop but it fell upon deaf ears. He sighed, quietly chastising himself once more before standing to his feet. 

—

The dull ache in her heart intensified, screaming at her as she fled. She knew, she saw it coming and allowed it to happen, a part of her wanted it to, but the block has reared its ugly head. Her desire was outweighed by something else, the shackles of the past, holding her prisoner. In the end, most fell victim to its restrictive embrace, but not for no reason.

As she explored the house, itself still in the process of being furnished, the room she soon found had bestowed an ounce of comfort despite her current, pervading anxiety. A salve to soothe the wounds, at least superficially. 

She had stepped inside a room that resembled a workshop. Par the course, it remained a work-in-progress. Something to chip away at and build towards, a place for swords and bullets and trinkets. A tinkerers toy-box. 

Her hand brushed across the top of the work-table, clean and prime for material. Untouched and fresh, ready for her nimble fingers and the craftsmanship of her mind. She thought ahead – once, just once, allowing herself to idle – thought ahead to the future, what could be. A broken sword for her to repair, to forge into something else. Something her, yet with a piece of him. The notion brought a small smile to her lips despite her bubbling somberness. 

She forced herself to step away. She could hear him, his calls for her, echoing in the distance. A part of her desired his touch and embrace, to hug him, kiss him, punch him, maybe more. The sight of a painting – of her painting – only worsened these desires, yet she refrained. Again. As much as she wanted to; his gaze, that ring, all she could see in it was the darkest possible future. A future hurt and alone, the beast inside her taking hold as a result. Loss was a part of life, it fostered as much pain as it did growth. And certainly, it was a part of her and him both. The bedrock that formed their bond was built just as much upon a shared pain and loss as much as it was joy and love.

She couldn’t bear the thought of losing him, to take things to the next level would only embolden those fears. 

She moved, a purpose to her step as her lungs desired a breath of fresh air. Her presence continued to elude him as she lightly explored other parts of the house before exiting it entirely. 

It was a home, their home. On paper, every piece fit together perfectly. But in execution, in person, nothing was ever so simple. It couldn’t be. She needed an escape, a place to think.

A place to _grieve._

—

He cooled the thoughts in his mind. Despite wanting to kick himself, he knew better. It took time. It always did. She needed time, and space. He continued to unpack, better to make himself busy than allow the anxiety corrupt his thoughts again. The ring remained nestled in his pocket, safely kept for the eventual response. 

And yet, he couldn’t help himself. He couldn’t live it alone. Not now, not again. He needed to move. Giving it thought, he exited the house out of the back of it to look around. His eyes glossed over the fire-place and future BBQ pit he would happily take advantage of, he turned, peeking around the corner for her, for anythi-

Cast under the glow of moonlight, there she sat, nestled high above atop the house made of tree-limbs. Her eyes were fixed upon the sky, littered with starlight. 

He ascended the small, makeshift ladder to sit alongside her. Artemis’ quiet sniffles and sobs filling the air.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hi,” she replied. “I’m sorry.”

“N-No, it’s ok- I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be so hasty in my-“

“Lenus,” she interrupted. “Shush. I freaked out but I.. I’m just-“ Beads of tears faintly trailed down her cheeks, her hands toying with themselves. “I’m terrified.”

A frown creased his lips. “You’re r-right, I am too, but I just – I want this. I wanted this more than anything I’ve ever wanted. But if you don’t wan-“

“Yes.”

Lenus paused. “…yes to what?”

“Yes, I’ll marry you.” She sniffled. “It’s terrifying to think about what the future might hold, it’s so much, too much.. I don’t want to lose you.”

He quickly whisked the ring from his pocket, having it almost slip from his grasp – which made her chuckle mildly. He sighed, just as much at himself as the situation. “You won’t. Not ever, I promise.”

“You can’t promise that.”

“Okay, maybe I can’t, but-“

She held out her hand, her fingers idly awaiting the ring. He prepared the ring, sliding it across her ring-finger slowly. “It’s a leap of faith,” she replied.

“Yeah,” he quietly said, his own eyes glossing over with tears, “..a leap of faith.”

Together, the two smiled at each other, then glanced up at the moon. Its presence, a fingernail illuminating the oily-black sky. Every star a story in its own right. Together, two stories would become one, a star much brighter than it was before. Artemis looked back at him again, then hastily pulled him into a deep kiss – only their silhouettes visible in the pale moonlight.

Pulling back, Lenus felt overcome with a question. A familiar, playful sensation returning. He couldn’t help himself, he had to ask.

“Ever made love in a treehouse?”

**Author's Note:**

> Follow [@RichmanBachard](https://twitter.com/RichmanBachard) and [@RichmanSFW](https://twitter.com/RichmanSFW) to keep up with my stories, my commission info, and my insanity.


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